Danny Boys
by runswiththepack13
Summary: This story is about Mako and Bolin's family. About there old one, all of their good times and bad, how they lost that family, but gained a new one. (Some flashbacks, and trips to the spirit world.)


"Alright boys, bed time," shouted Mako and Bolin's mother as she turned off the radio and began walking toward them. "Pick up your toys and get ready for your bath."

The two sighed and complained, but did what they were told. Even Bolin who was three knew better than to ignore his mother's commands. They put away the crayons and coloring books, and the little toy cars Bolin was playing with and ran down the hall to begin their bed time routine.

They're mother gave them a quick bubble bath, once clean she would dry them off and send Mako off to get changed while she got Bolin into his pajamas.

Mako, finished buttoning his pajama and hopped into bed, twisting this way and that trying get comfortable. He and Bolin loved bed time. It was always a big show. Their mom walked in carrying Bolin in her arms a smile on his cute little face as per usual. She laid him in his new big boy bed they had bought a few weeks ago. She tucked him in and went over to Mako's bed to do the same. Once sure they were okay she sat down on the chair next to the window and waited. This was her favorite part of the day as well.

Not soon after, their father walked in with bright green eyes and a smile to match. He sat down in a little stool that was much too small for him, and definitely not strong enough to hold him, but still he got comfortable and prepared himself.

The boys scooted closer to the edge of their beds in anticipation, there mother sat there her head resting in her hand a soft smile across her lips, taking in the scene.

"Okay," he said then cleared his throat. "What do you boys want to listen to tonight?" he asked.

"You pick," said, Mako, without hesitation. "Surprise us."

"Yeah!" chimed in Bolin excitedly. "Surprise us!"

"Alright then," he said grinning, obviously happy with new found freedom.

Mako, smiled. He already knew what he was going to sing. It was his father's favorite song and he would sing it _all the time_. Humming it, whistling it, mumbling it under his breath while he was grading papers or doing the dishes, or cooking dinner. It was always playing in his head, and would always sing it to his sons when they were upset, or had gotten hurt, and would sing it as a lullaby whenever he was given the freedom to choose what to sing.

He cleared his throat and began:

"_Oh, Danny boy, the pipes, the pipes are calling _

_From glen to glen and down the mountain side _

_The summer's gone and all the roses falling _

_It's you, it's you, must go and I must bide"_

Mako, could see Bolin's eyes getting heavier already. It was hard not to. His voice was so deep and melodic. You would look at him and never know he had such a beautiful sounding voice. Their mother would always comment saying 'If angels could sing, they'd sound just like that;' and Mako always believed it.

He was feeling sleepy himself, but he was determined to hear it all the way through. It didn't matter that he had already heard it a thousand times over and over. Every time he sang it, he would do it with such bliss and passion, it was hard not to be mesmerized by it. He looked over at his mother, her eyes were closed, but he knew she wasn't sleeping. She would always close her eyes when she was really listening to something beautiful. Her favorite song on the radio, the sound of her children's laughter, and the sound of her husband singing to his boys before bed time.

"_But come ye back when summer's in the meadow _

_Or all the valley's hushed and white with snow _

_It's I'll be here in sunshine or in shadow" _

He placed a hand on each of his drifting children's heads, and looked at them both as he sang the last line:

"_Oh, Danny boy, oh, Danny boy, I love you so…" _

Bolin's breathing was even, and Mako's eyes were closed. They wouldn't make it to the next verse he knew. He didn't mind though. He actually liked the fact that they fell asleep to his song, it made him feel good inside knowing that the least thing they heard before the fell asleep was his voice. He smiled as he saw them laying there drifting off to dream land, and stood up from what he referred to as 'the most uncomfortable chair in the world', and gave each of them a kiss on the top of their heads.

He walked over to his wife, her topaz eyes looking over at him. He held out his hand and helped her up. "There out," he whispered as she got up. She walked over to her boys to kiss them goodnight and make sure they were covered up properly. She then walked over to her husband who was leaning against the door frame.

"There good kids," she said suddenly.

"Of course they are," he said with a smug tone. "They are _my_ sons. Look at them!" He said pointing at his sleeping children. "Lady Killers, both of them."

She punched her husband playfully and rolled her eyes. "Not my boys. They will be perfect gentlemen."

"Mm-hm, sure sure," he said waving her off.

She giggle and rolled her eyes once more. _Oh boy…_ she thought to herself. Sometimes it felt like there were three kids in this house, not just two. "Whatever big shot," she said as she walked out of the room. "Come on, it's getting late."

He smiled as he watched her go down the hall. She was one incredible woman. He looked back into the boys' room. He turned off the light and began closing the door softly. "Goodnight, my Danny Boys…" he whispered to them before the door closed.

Mako, smiled as he heard his dad call them by his little nickname for them before drifting off to sleep.

...

Mako stood there before his parents grave, not sure what to do. He wanted to shout: 'Get up!' or 'This isn't funny!' He prayed that this was just some awful nightmare and that that horrible scene never happened, but he knew better than that. He knew they were gone. Forever.

He looked down at Bolin, kneeling on the floor crying his eyes out. He felt his own tears well up in his eyes. _Why? _He kept asking himself. _Why them? Why did it have to be_ my _parents?!_

He thought of his caring mother, her comforting hugs, and soothing voice. Her homemade cookies and how she would play hide and seek with them. How she would always greet him and his dad whenever they came home from school and made them hot chocolate when it was cold.

He looked down and saw the red fabric draped around his neck that his father had given him when his own scarf had flown away on that day. He clenched it with one fist thinking of his father. How happy he was and such a good person. He would never hurt anyone. He never even yelled at them once. Everyone loved him.

And then right there, the words to his dad's favorite song came rushing back to him. As if he were there still singing like he always did.

_When winter's come and all the flowers are dying _

_And I am dead as dead I well may be _

_You'll come and find the place where I am lying _

_And kneel and say an 'Ave' there for me_

He thought about how he was so cold he was shaking, and how all the trees in the park had no more leaves, all the green gone for the winter. All the flowers were dead. He thought of the sudden silence that fell upon them, as if the whole world could feel it too. That they were gone now. He was alone. All alone…

He felt a tug on his coat that snapped him out of his own head. He looked down at his brother. He had forgotten he was there. Bolin, looked up at him, his tear stained face, and rosy cheeks from the cold weather. His five year old little brother, soon to be six. "What are we gonna do now, Mako?" he asked sounding as scared and lost as he was.

His words surprised him. What _were_ they going to do? He didn't know. But that's when he came to a realization. He wasn't alone. He still had Bolin, and he would always have Bolin. He would make sure of that. He would protect his little brother –the only family he had left- no matter what. He wasn't going to be so helpless anymore. He would get stronger, not just for him, but for his brother.

He knit his eyebrows together in determination. His parents had always protected them, and now he would do the same. It was his turn. He was the older brother, he had to take care of things now and provide for him and Bolin.

He softened his expression and looked at Bolin. "We'll figure it out," he said as he lifted his brother from the cold ground and brushed the dirt off of his clothes. "Everything is going to be okay. I promise." He whipped the tears off of his brother's face and tried to give him a comforting smile. Bolin smiled back.

Mako, knelt before his parent's graves, feeling just the slights hint of warmth in the winter air, as if his parents were there giving him one last hug. "I love you," he whispered softly.

"I love you too," said Bolin to his parents from behind him. His voice still a bit shaky, but Mako could tell he was trying to be brave.

_But I shall hear tho' soft you tread above me _

_And all my grave will warmer, sweeter be _

_And you will bend and tell me that you love me _

_And I shall sleep in peace until you come to me_

Mako took his younger brother's hand using his fire bending to keep it warm, and they walked away from what he knew would be his last encounter with his parents.

...

Korra walked through the Spirit World, not really sure what she was looking for. "Why can't any of this Avatar stuff ever be simple?!" she yelled at no one in frustration, trying to let out a bursts of air as an attempt to release all that anger, then remembered she couldn't bend in the Spirit World. _Great…_

"Excuse me?" she heard a voice from behind her. She jumped and instinctively got into a fighting position. She quickly lowered her arms when she saw where the voice had come from.

It was a woman. She had shoulder length black hair, and topaz eyes. A slim figure and a soft smile but fierce eyes. With her was a man, very tall and well defined. He had a beard, and bright friendly eyes. He was smiling at, Korra, as well.

She cocked her head to the side as she examined them. They looked awfully familiar to her, though she was positive she had never met them before. Her eyes widened as she realized why, they looked exactly like Mako and Bolin.

She soon realized she was gaping and worked on regaining her composure, but failed miserably. She didn't know what to do. She wanted to ask a million questions. She wanted to now who they were, but all she managed to muster was a: "Uh… yeah?"

"You're Avatar Korra, right?" asked the man, she was taken aback by how deep his voice was, but he wasn't scary at all. Quite the contrary she had this overwhelming urge to hug the guy and offer him some tea. A sensation she had felt before with Bolin.

"Yes, I am."

"You know our boys then! Mako and Bolin?" said the woman, a look of sadness in her eyes.

"I do actually," she said not knowing what else to say.

"We're there parents," she said confirming what Korra already knew. "We were hoping that… you could deliver a message for us," she asked, begging really.

"Of course," said Korra without hesitation. She would love nothing more than to put a smile on her best friends' faces. "I am the bridge between this world and the physical world. Isn't that my job?" she said with a teasing smile.

They both smiled, looking thrilled. "Please," began the woman. "Tell them that we are so sorry, we had to leave when they were so young, and that we miss them terribly."

"Tell them we are so proud of the both of them. They have come so far on their own," said the man, a glint of pride in his eyes. "They've done more than we can ever dream from them, and that we are the proudest parents in the world."

"Tell them, that we are always watching over them, and see how much they've accomplished. Tell Mako, that it's okay to trust those he cares about. That he doesn't always have to keep people at arm's length. And tell Bolin to keep smiling, no matter how hard things get. It'll make him stronger in the end. To stay together and to keep each other safe. Tell them we're so sorry we can't be there to help them," said their mother now in tears.

Korra, walked over to them and placed a hand her shoulder. "I will," she said giving them the most sincere look she could muster. Determination clear in her voice. "I promise."

The woman touched her hand and smile, grateful. "Thank you, Avatar Korra."

Korra, nodded and began to turn when she felt someone grab her arm. She turned and saw the man looking at her. "Also," he said gently. "Tell them that I still love my Danny Boys, okay? Just like that."

She raised an eyebrow t him. "Huh?" she asked totally confused, not sure what he was talking about.

He laughed. "Just tell them, please?"

She nodded, still trying to figure out what he meant. "Uh, sure. No problem."

"Thank you." He looked so at peace now. She wondered how long they've been waiting for a chance like this.

"Goodbye," she said bowing. "It was a real honor meeting the both of you."

"You too, Avatar Korra," said the woman and they both bowed.

She waved goodbye at them as she walked away, trying to remember what her mission was. She couldn't wait to go back to Mako and Bolin and deliver their message.

As she walked away, she heard them talking in the distance.

"She's such a nice girl. I'm so glad she's doing this for us."

"I knew she would," said the man, a hint of mischief in his voice. "She's practically our daughter in law, after all."

Korra, felt her face go completely red, and the heat rising to her ears. _Oh, spirits…_

_..._

Korra, opened her eyes and tried to decipher the blurry images around her. Waiting for her vision to return to her. "Korra?" she heard a familiar voice say in front of her.

She blinked a few times and the image finally focused. Mako, was staring down at her, concern clear on his features. "Korra? Are you okay? How do you feel?"

She smiled and jumped up giving him a hug. His eyes widened with shock, he wasn't expecting that. He smiled though and quickly tightened his arms around her. His shoulders relaxed, relieved that she was back, safe and sound. She pulled away and jumped on Bolin who was right next to his brother. He was shocked for second before he hugged her back and began laughing. "Great to see you too," he said jokingly as she pulled away. "Are you okay?" he asked.

Korra nodded, a huge smile on her face. She was so excited to tell them the good news. She laid a hand on each of their shoulders. "I met some great people while I was in the spirit world."

"Oh, yeah?" said Bolin with his usual grin. She couldn't help but smile as well. That was something about Bolin, his happiness was contagious. "Who?" he asked excitedly.

"Your parents," she said simply in a gentle tone.

Both of their eyes widened. They weren't expecting that. Not at all. When she said she met someone Mako thought it was maybe one of her past lives, probably Kyoshi or someone along those lines. Bolin thought she met some freaky spirit and wanted to scare him with more ghost stories, but this… It had never even crossed there mind that it was even a possibility for her to talk to their parents, who had left them behind so long ago.

"Our parents?" asked Mako, still processing her words.

"Did they say anything? Are they okay?" asked Bolin, and Korra noticed the tears that were forming in his eyes.

"There fine," she said her voice comforting and soothing. "And yes I did. As a matter of fact, I have a message from them." If possible their eyes widened even more, but they said nothing. Korra wasn't sure if they were still breathing at this point, but still she continued. "They wanted me to tell you that they're sorry that they had to leave so early. They want you to know that they miss you and that they are so proud of you and all that you've done." Bolin had tears streaming down his cheeks, he had never looked so serious than he did then. She looked up at Mako and saw that he also had tears in his eyes, but he was keeping them in. Probably trying to stay strong for Bolin, but it was hard.

"They want you to know that they are the proudest parents in the world, and that you have done more on your own than they could ever imagine. Mako," she said now only looking at him, deep into his topaz eyes, which she now knew were like his mother's. "Your mother wants you to know that it's okay to trust people." She could tell that that really hit him, she knew how hard it was to be a part of his small world he only shared with his brother for so long. Letting people in was a challenge all in its own. "And Bolin," she said now facing her best friend, who's tears kept strolling down his face. "She said that she wants you to keep smiling no matter how hard things get. They want you to stay together and keep each other safe. They want you to know that they are always watching over you and that they love you." Bolin smiled through his tear stained face and let out a chuckle.

To her surprise Mako chuckled too. "Yeah, that sounds like her."

Korra smiled at the both of them, feeling so happy that they knew their parents were okay and they were still taking care of them in some odd way. She only wished they could hear them one more time.

"Oh!" she exclaimed suddenly, surprising them both. "I almost forgot, your dad wanted me to tell you something. Hold on, I have to get this right," she said as she closed her eyes trying to remember his exact words. "He asked me to tell you, that he 'still loves his Danny Boys'. He told me to say just like that." She said her eyes still closed, making sure she had gotten the phrase right.

She nodded to herself once she felt like she delivered the message correctly. Once she opened her eyes she was surprised with what she saw. Mako's tears had finally fallen, and Bolin was down right sobbing.

It was a heart breaking scene. She pulled them both into a hug. "Thank you, Korra," said Bolin between sobs. She'd never seen them like this before. It was enough to make _her_ cry.

"Thank you so much," added Mako, whispering into her ear. "You have no idea how much this means to us."

His voice cracked at the end, and Korra's heart broke. She couldn't take it anymore. This was Mako. Broody, no nonsense Mako, and here he was crying into her shoulder. Tears welled up in her eyes and fell down her cheeks. She tightened her embrace on both of them, not wanting to let go.

...

They were back in Republic City, an area Korra had never been to before, and Mako, Bolin, and Asami, hadn't visited in years. The Republic City Cemetery.

The four of them walked down the rows and rows of grave stones, some with fresh flowers just placed in front of them, some covered in dust and breaking from the years that no one had come to visit them.

The place was beautiful. It was on top of a hill, with the greenest grass you had ever seen. There were huge old oak trees thrown across the land here and there, its leaves thrown all over. But, no matter how beautiful it was, there was still this sensation of sadness and loss on the air. It made you want to cry just standing there.

There were all covered up in there winter coats, protecting themselves from the cold November air. It still hadn't snowed which was strange, but you could really appreciate the beauty of the place, and it made it easier to navigate.

"We're almost there," said Mako as he led the way.

After the message from their parents, he and Bolin had decided to go visit their parents' graves. They, hadn't been there since they were kids, and decided it was a visit long overdue. They invited Korra and Asami, also deciding it was about time they got to properly meet there parents.

Mako, walked over to one of the big trees, where one of the biggest braches hung over two grave stones.

The boys, knelt down and cleaned them off, shoving away all of the dust, and dead leaves form all the years. Once they could make out their names again, they placed two small bouquets of flowers they had brought along with them, taking it all in.

He got up, and let Korra and Asami place the flowers they had brought along with them. "It's nice to finally meet you," said Asami as she gently placed a rose on each grave. "You have two amazing sons."

"It's good to see you again," said Korra placing the fire lilies she insisted on buying for this occasion, though they were much too expensive. When, Mako, tried to talk her out of it, she simply brushed him off and said it was for a special occasion. "I delivered your message, just like you asked. I hope I got it right," she said with a chuckle.

They just stood there in silence, though it wasn't awkward. Mako and Bolin, thought back to all of the happy memories they shared with their parents. Bolin's were blurry, he was so young when they died. He couldn't really remember their faces, or how they sounded, but he did remember how there hugs felt, and how much fun it was to play with them. He remembered the long days he would spend with his mother while Mako was at school and his dad was at work. He remembered the afternoon naps they would take together and when he would help her cook. He missed his mom the most.

He also remembered his dad's loud powerful laugh, and how he always had a smile on his face. How he would always give them a cookie before dinner even after their mom forbade it, but most of all he remembered his voice. Well, he couldn't remember how it sounded exactly, but he remembered how much he loved to sing, and would always burst into song in the most random moments.

Then he remembered how he would always sing this one song over and over again. It was his favorite, and Bolin always loved to hear it.

Then as if the universe were reading his mind, he heard the familiar melody he had forgotten long ago played on a sungi horn.

He looked over at Mako and saw that he heard it too. He wasn't going crazy. Mako, closed his eyes and listened to the music. He could almost hear his father singing.

_Oh Danny boy the stream flows cool and slowly_

_And pipes still call and deco cross the blend _

_Your broken mother sighs and feels so lonely _

_For you have not returned to smile again _

He sighed, and thought about how rarely he smiled after they had died. His smiles were rare and far between. He remembered how much their mother loved to see them smile, and it broke his heart to think how sad she would be that he had lost it so long ago. But he knew that in the last year, that had changed, along with so many other things. He actually couldn't stop smiling, especially after Korra. She just made his small world so much brighter and filled with hope for a future he never could have imagined a year ago. A future with her, he hoped.

The music kept playing, it was no longer filled with sad memories of the past. It marked a new life for the both of them.

"_So you have died and crossed the stream before us…"_

Mako, turned his head surprised, as his younger brother sang the words to the song. It was soft and low, a little off key, but Mako thought he sounded great.

"_We pray that angels met you on the shore." _

He could tell that he was struggling to remember the lyrics. Mako, smiled wrapped and arm around his brother's shoulders and sang along with him. Just as bad, but at that point it really didn't matter.

"_And you'll look down and gently you'll implore us_

_To live so we may see your smiling face once more…" _

Korra and Asami had tears in their eyes, while they just stood there as the final chords of their favorite song played to its end.

Mako, remembered back to when the last time he was here. He felt oddly warm, even with the sharp wind. He smiled down at his father's grave stone, nostalgia in his heart. Remembering all of the bed time lullabies and hugs. "I love you dad," he whispered softly. Then got up and walked away; his hand in Korra's. Even though both his parents were gone, he still had a family. He always did, it just took a while for him to find it.

_Once more…_

* * *

A/N: Woof! Okay, so, I wrote this a little while back and have been meaning to post it, but I hadn't had the time to edit it properly, and even so it was a bit rushed so forgive me for all the mistakes!

Anyway, I've been playing with this head-cannon that Mako and Bolin's dad really loved singing and was really good at it, and he would always sing them lullabies when they were little! I don't know why but I just loved the thought of it and before I knew it, this happened! Also, something you should know I also have this head-cannon that there dad was a teacher, I think it makes a reference to that somewhere in the story.

So yeah, I really hoped you enjoyed it! I really liked writing it! Let me know what you think, and if you have any questions, don't be afraid to ask! See you around! Bye!


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